It’s Thanksgiving time. It’s that time when people really focus on being thankful for what they have; sometimes it’s material things but mostly it comes down to being thankful for their family and friends and good health. I realize that the majority of people don’t limit their thankfulness to the month of November and actually are grateful throughout the year, as it should be. Are you one of those people?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 instruct us to give thanks in everything. This is not giving thanks for everything but that in every situation whether good or bad we can be thankful. We can always be thankful for knowing Jesus as our Savior; and regardless of whether or not we think our life is exactly how we would like for it to be, we can choose to be grateful.

When we are going through a rough time we need to focus on God, even if our emotions don’t feel like it. When we are purposely thankful to God for who He is, for saving us, for helping us, we are giving Him a sacrifice of thanksgiving. (Psalm 116:17) As Christians, we can always find something to be thankful for because we have a Heavenly Father who loves us. As we place our attention on God, His peace comes and reigns in our hearts, and helps us through those rough times. When our heart is filled with the peace of God then we are calmer in difficult situations, and we are more ably to be free from disturbing thoughts and emotions.

Colossians 4:2 tells us to continue earnestly is prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. Having a thankful heart will help us to be alert and watchful in our pray life.A thankful heart is not selfish. A thankful heart will not just pray for oneself but reaches out to others in the power of prayer for God to help and minister to them.

Colossians 3:15teaches us that we are called to be thankful. The blessing of being thankful is the peace of God in our heart. It seems to me then the more thankful we are the more peaceful we will be. Having a grateful heart also leads to living a life of praising God. Psalm 22:3 reminds us that God inhabits the praises of Israel. As Christians we are also God’s people and He is enthroned in our praises; or another way of saying it is He dwells in our praises. I find that very comforting. One of the best lessons I learned years ago was that praising God brought me into His presence, and in His presence is joy and peace.

My prayer this week is that we will earnestly, deliberately, purposefully, dedicate ourselves to being more grateful for all that God has done for us and given us. He truly is worthy of all praise.